Container for coins



June 19, 1956 G. B HUME CONTAINER FOR COINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1952 June 19, 1956 G. B. HUME CONTAINER FOR cows 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1952 atent 'fiice Patented June 19, 1956 CONTAINER FOR COINS Gertrude B. Hume, Newton, Mass., assignor to Buxton,

Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 17, 1952, Serial No. 288,443

7 Claims. (Cl. 150-37) The present invention relates to containers for money such as billfolds, purses, pocketbooks, handbags and the like. More particularly the invention is concerned with an improved coin container in which coins may be inserted without opening the coin container but, nevertheless, will not fall out in normal use of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a coin container having an auxiliary opening into which coins may be inserted from the outside without opening the opening of the container through which coins are normally removed in which the auxiliary opening for the insertion of coins is closed against escape of coins by simple and reliable means.

Another object is to provide such a container in which the auxiliary opening for the insertion of coins is closed against exit of coins from the container by simple means without the use of spring closures, spring detents or catches or other cumbersome or expensive mechanical contrivances but which nevertheless is effective to retain coins without interfering with the easy insertion of coins.

In accordance with the invention I provide in addition to the normal opening of the coin container through which coins are placed in and taken out of the container, an auxiliary opening in the form preferably of an elongated relatively narrow slot through which coins may be inserted. To prevent escape of coins from the inside of the container through this slot, I provide a flexible flap attached to the container and extending from a position outside the wall of the container on one side of the slot, through the slot and into the inside of the container on the other side of the slot. The flap is left unattached to the wall of the container on the outside immediately adjacent the slot so that a coin may be inserted into the container by pushing it between the flap and the adjacent outside surface of the wall of the container and into the slot under the guidance of the flap. Inside the container, the flap extends beyond the slot and is arranged to lie in spaced relation to the inside surface of the slot-containing wall so that coins moving along this wall, when the container is moved about in normal use, are trapped between it and the flap and cannot escape.

Presently preferred embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is an elevation of a ladys billfold embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the billfold of Fig. l in open position, illustrating the manner in which a coin is inserted into the coin compartment without opening the normal opening of this compartment;

. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the coin compartment of Fig. 2'in open position showing the manner in which a coin passes intothe auxiliary opening;

-Fig.-4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but with the billfold in an inverted position;

' Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modification;

of Fig 6;

with a thickened lower edge.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a further modification showing the application of my invention to a handbag;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, showing a coin purse in open position wtihin the hand- Fig. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a modification similar to the modification of Figs. 8 and 9 but in which the coin purse is located against the back wall of the handbag.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in which my invention is shown as applied to the coin compartment of a ladys billfold, the body of the billfold comprises a back wall 2 and a front wall 4 separated by a divider strip 6 loosely connected to the front wall at its opposite ends. Bills, or other papers, may be carried in the space between the walls 2 and 4, segregated into two groups by the divider strip 6, in the usual manner. The body of the billfold may be folded along its middle and secured in folded position by a strap 11 and snap fastener 11a. Pockets at each end of the billfold for the reception of cards or other material are provided by walls 8 and 1.0 of which wall 8 may be in part of transparent material.

The coin compartment 12 is provided on the pocket wall 10. This compartment has a two-part front wall 12a and 12b stitched adjacent its margins to the layer of material forming the front wall 10, which layer provides the back wall of the coin compartment. The front Wall parts 12a and 12b are adapted to be fastened together by a snap fastener 14 in a conventional manner to provide the normal opening into the compartment. The portion 12a, as shown to best advantage in Fig. 4, extends above its line of connection to the pocket wall 10 and is curved inwardly and then downwardly toward its line of con nection to the pocket wall 10.

A slot 16 is provided in front wall 12a immediately above its line of connection with the wall 10 so that the slot lies closely adjacent the wall 10 and below the uppermost, curved, part of the wall part 12a. This slot provides the auxiliary opening into the coin compartment through which coins can be inserted without the delay involved in unsnapping the snap fastener 14, opening the normal opening of the container, inserting the coin, reclosing and snapping the snap fastener 14.

A flexible flap 18 is secured in any desired way to the billfold outside the coin compartment so that it lies adjacent the wall 12a just above the slot 16 but without being connected to the wall at this point. The flap then extends through the slot 16 and downwardly into the inside of the coin compartment where it is left free of attachment to the billfold. Desirably the inner part of the flap should normally lie in spaced relation to the inside surface of the wall of the container having the coin receiving slot therein, i. e., wall 10 in Figs. 1-5. For this purpose the portion of the flap inside the coin compartment may be stiffened or preferably may be provided Conveniently the desired thickening of the lower edge of the flap can be obtained by turning or rolling the material of the flap upon itself and securing the inturned or rolled lower edge to the flap by a line of stitching 20.

. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7.

In the embodiment shown, the upper end of flap 18 extends through an opening in the wall 10 although it will be understood that the flap could extend over and around the top of the wall 10 and front wall 4 of the billfold'and down inside the bill compartment. The particular manner in which the outer end of the flap is secured to the container is not an important feature in this embodiment of my invention so long as the flap is left free of attachment to the wall 12a immediately adjacent the slot 16 to permit ready insertion of coins into the slot from above.

' 24 which is to be inserted into the coin compartment,

for instance after paying a bus fare, is inserted into the slot 16 from above, being guided in this movement by the front face of wall and flap 18 and by the rear face of the wall 12a. As indicated in dotted lines at 26, in Fig. 4, upon entering the coin compartment the coin passes over flap 18 and then falls below the lower end of the flap. Thereafter in the normal use of the billfold the coin cannot escape through the slot 16, even although the billfold may be inverted, as in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, an alternative form of my invention is shown as applied to a purse. This purse comprises a back wall 343, which may be and preferably is relatively stiff, and a front wall 32 connected to the back wall along its lower edge. These walls and the other part of the purse, as well as the various parts of other embodiments of my invention, may be formed of a textile material, leather, plastic, or any other sheet material suitable for the purpose. The walls described may be of one or more plies as desired or required. A bottom wall 34 may be provided between the back wall and front wall 32. The front wall carries at its upper edge a top wall 36 extending inwardly toward the back wall 30 as shown. The top wall 36 has connected along its rear edge a relatively stiff closure flap 38, which may be releasably secured to the back wall 30 by a snap fastener 40. The back wall 34' bottom wall 34- if present, front wall 32 and top wall 36 are connected together at their side edges at one side by a soft iiexible side gusset 42 and a similar gusset (not shown) at the opposite side edge. creased at 4-4 in such a way that swinging movement of the front wall 32 from its open position to its closed position, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, will cause the gusset to fold inwardly. The gussets preferably are of a shape and size such as to prevent forward swinging movement of front wall 32 beyond a position approximately at right angles to the back wall 30 and to prevent outward swinging movement of top wall 36 beyond a position at approximately right angles to front wall 32. Thus, when the purse is opened by unsnapping the snap fastener and swinging the front and top walls and closure 38 forwardly, the front wall, top wall and gussets cooperate to form a tray upon which the coins contained in the purse are spread and exposed to view for the selection of a coin of a desired denomination.

Either the front wall 32 or the top wall 36, preferably the latter as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is provided with a slot 46 to provide the auxiliary coin receiving opening. A flexible flap 43, corresponding in function to flap 18 of Figs. 1 to 5, is secured on the outside of the purse, as by stitching it at 50 to the front wall 32, and extends through the slot 46 and into the inside of the purse. This flap is of flexible material such that it may bend to permit entry of a coin inserted from above, as in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 7. Coins within the purse, however, cannot fall out through the opening because they first strike the inner end of the flap 48 and press it against the slot 46, barring their escape.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11, my invention is shown as applied to a handbag 60 comprising a front wall 62, a back wall 64, a bottom wall 66 and a closure flap 68 adapted to be held in closed position by a catch 70. It will be understood that the form of bag shown is merely for purposes of illustration, as the bag itself may take any of many different designs. Inside the bag a coin purse is secured to the inside of the front wall as shown particularly in Fig. 9 so that one side wall 72 of the purse lies in contact with the inside of the front wall 62 of the handbag. This wall 72 of the purse is provided with an opening 74 in alignment with a corresponding opening 76 in the front wall 62 of the handbag to provide the auxiliary opening through which coins can be inserted. A flexible flap 78, corresponding in function to the flap 18 and the flap 48, extends from outside the handbag above the slot 76 through the slot 76 and the opening 74 of the purse into These gussets are the inside of the purse below these openings. As in the modification of Figs. 15, the lower edge of flap 78 desirably is thickened at 80 as by turning it or rolling it upon itself and suitably stitching or cementing it.

To support the flap 78 from outside the handbag without interference with insertion of coins through the slot as indicated by the arrow at 82, I provide a yoke piece 8 to the back surface of which is secured the upper end of the fiap 78. The yoke piece is secured in any convenient manner as to overlie the slot 76 on the outer face of the front wall 62 and is left free of attachment to this wall immediately adjacent to and above the slot. To this end, the front wall 62 is provided with a vertical slit 86 at one end of slot 76 and a corresponding slit at the other end of the slot (not shown) into which the opposite ends of yoke piece 84 are inserted, where they may lie between the layer of material forming the front wall 62 and the lining of the handbag or the wall 72 of the purse. The lower part of the yoke piece likewise may be inserted through a horizontal slit to further retain the yoke piece in position. If desired the end and bottom parts of the yoke piece may be cemented or sewed in position.

A metal or plastic spring member 99 preferably is inserted inside the purse as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 between the wall 72 and the other wall 92 of the purse to prevent the wall 92 from being pressed so firmly against the flap "78 by the contents of the handbag as to prevent passage of an inserted coin between the flap and the wall 92. Desirably the upper inner portions of this spring member are curved upwardly and inwardly as shown to provide easy access to the bottom of the purse when it is desired to remove coins therefrom.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 223,528 filed April 28, 1951, and now abandoned.

I claim:

1. In a receptacle having wall members including opposed wall members connected at three sides and forming a coin purse, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said members having a coin slot formed therein for admission of coins to the purse when the closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap connected at one end to one of said members outwardly of the purse at one side of the slot and extending through said opening and beyond the opposite side of the slot and forming means to guide coins through said slot and into the purse, the portion of the flap within the purse being positioned beyond said opposite side of the slot forming means to trap the coins within the purse.

2. In a receptacle having wall members forming a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being a coin purse including opposed wall members connected at three sides, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse, and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said members having a coin slot formed therein for admission of coins to the purse when the purse closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap having one end secured to one of said members andextending through said slot and into the purse and forming means to guide coins through said slot and into the purse, the free end portion of said flap within the purse extending beyond the slot to trap the coins within the purse.

3. In a receptacle having wall members forming a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being a coin purse including opposed wall members connected at three sides, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse, and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said members having a coin slot formed therein for admission of coins to the purse when the purse closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap having one end secured to one of said members and extending through said slot and into the purse and forming means to guide coins through said slot and into the purse, the free end portion of said flap within the purse extending beyond the slot to trap the coins within the purse, the free end of the flap within the purse being thickened to assure engagement of the flap with the adjacent wall of the purse.

4. In a receptacle having wall members forming a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being a coin purse including opposed wall members connected at three sides, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse, and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said members having a coin slot formed therein for admission of coins to the purse when the purse closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap having one end secured to one of said members other than that in which said slot is formed and extending through said slot and into the purse and forming means to guide coins through said slot and into the purse, the free end portion of said flap within the purse extending beyond the slot to trap the coins within the purse.

5. In a receptacle having wall members forming a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being a coin purse including opposed wall members connected at three sides, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse, and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said members having a coin slot formed therein for admission of coins to the purse when the purse closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap having one end secured to one of said members and extending through said slot and into the purse and forming means to guide coins through said slot and into the purse, the free end portion of said flap Within the purse extending beyond the slot to trap the coins within the purse, said free end of the flap within the purse being folded back upon itself and secured in the form of a loop.

6. In a receptacle having wall members forming two compartments, one of said wall members being in part common to said two compartments, one of said compartments being a coin purse including opposed wall members connected at three sides, the fourth side being open to provide access to the interior of the purse, and a releasable closure member for said open side extending from said common wall and provided with a coin slot adjacent the juncture of the closure member and said common wall for admission of coins to the purse when the closure member is in purse closing position, and a flexible flap having one end supported by the common wall member above the coin slot and extending through said slot and into the purse, the free end portion of said flap within the purse extending beyond the slot, said extending portion being thickened and forming means to trap the coins within the purse. k

7. In a receptacle having wall members forming two compartments, one of said compartments being a ladys hand bag and the other compartment being a coin purse including opposed walls connected at three sides and open at the fourth side to provide access to the interior of the purse and a releasable closure member for said open side, one of said opposed wall members of the purse being secured to the inside face of a wall of the bag compartment, the contiguous walls of the bag compartment and purse being provided with a coin slot for admission of coins to said purse from the outside of the bag compartment, a flexible flap extending from outside said container above said slot and through said slot into the purse and below said opening, and a yoke member overlying said slot on the outer face of the bag compartment wall and attached thereto beyond the ends of said slot, said flap being secured solely to said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,510 Levy July 28, 1908 1,091,333 Heindel Mar. 24, 1914 1,243,467 Weil Oct. 16, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 451,651 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1936 

